The Best One
by InfamousImagination
Summary: One-Shot. What happens to our beloved characters in the aftermath of Kate's suicide? How do they all deal with their emotions? Will they get through it? How will they get through it? Pain comes in different forms and they will all feel it.


**A/N: PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION.**

 **This one-shot deals with suicide. So this may be trigging for some.**

 **This is my first dark(est) piece of writing I have written. So if it seems a bit off that is why.  
**

 **I do not own Life Is Strange.**

* * *

Blackwell was different.

The school always had an ominous feel, from its old origins to the way the shadows seemed to thrive within the campus. There were many secrets hidden within the walls that if they could speak most people, if not all, would be horrified. Students snuck out when the sun past the mountains but they would always feel a cold shiver. A danger. Yet, it all went ignored, either because of ignorance or idiocy, most likely both. In cause to that was why for the first time in quite likely forever, the school was lively.

But not with joy, not with happiness and certainly not laughter.

The students had lost one of their own.

One of the best if some were brave enough to say, their guilt thick and remorse heavy. They would walk, eyes lingering in the places that their fallen angel had once been. Even the darkest of students didn't dare to mock. The lighter students forever changed and some completely missing.

Blackwell was different.

And everyone knew.

* * *

Dana breathed in shallowly trying her hardest to get any sort of air into her lungs. It had not even been a day and it already felt like years. Seconds that seemed like minutes, minutes felt like hours and hours were now eternity. It was never-ending. Dana gritted her teeth trying to force herself to stop the onslaught of emotions. She failed as another heart wrenching sob tore from her lips and her hands gripped her bed sheets tightly. This had gone on for a few hours now her hands sore from white knuckle grip she kept.

It hurt.

The pain she felt hurt and she could feel it everywhere.

So strong that every time a memory came flooding in she would close her eyes. That only led to torment her more because then those flashes were vivid. She would be placed in the past where she could see blonde hair, brown eyes and a small smile. A cross that never left it place and a soft voice offering comfort. That voice.

Kate's voice.

Another sob echoed the room as her face pressed into the pillow trying to mask her pain, trying to get rid of it. It wouldn't go away and she wondered if this was how Kate had felt. Trying to run, trying to hide it and being so consumed that she…she wasn't here anymore. Dana blinked open her eyes, a desolate feeling creeping into her body. Her lips trembled, her eyes burned from the tears that had dried long ago. The cheerleader slowly got out of her bed, dragging her blanket with her as she sat down on the couch.

She stared down at her clasped hands for a long while as a memory flooded into her mind. One that she had refused for so long, felt the most guilt over. She bit her bottom lip harshly, almost drawing blood with the force of it. Her hands once again clenched tightly as she let the last memory she had of Kate break open into her mind. Dana shook with her tremors but she couldn't get far when a soft, barely there knock was on her door. Clearing her throat multiple she managed out a tired answer.

"Go away."

There was thump against the door before a thick voice penetrated through "Let me in."

" _Please."_ Dana whispered eyes twisting shut. "Go."

"I can't- I can't be alone anymore. I need you, Dana. _Please."_

The words echoed in Dana's head spinning around constantly as she shook. They tore whatever piece she was holding onto as she got up from her stop on the couch. She didn't realize that she had all but tore the door open. She didn't realize that Juliet was in her arms, crying more than she had ever seen in her friend before. She didn't realize the words that crept out of her mouth until they rested heavy in the silence.

"Is that how Kate felt?"

Dana felt as Juliet shook her head, assuming that her friend didn't know what to say, didn't know how to feel. They didn't know how oblivious they had been. How cowardly they felt when someone so small and so good never called out for help. That they had turned a blind eye, coming up with the excuse that it was Blackwell. It made everything they were feeling that much worse to deal with. That they didn't get to feel sad because they had done nothing to stop that damned video.

"I don't know, I don't know." Juliet mumbled in her weak voice, hair a mess, clothes from what seemed the depths of her closet. "I don't want to know because-because if she did…Dana if she did-"

The cheerleader searched her ceiling pleading for an answer but she knew it "We weren't there for her."

They didn't know how they had ended up in front of the couch, tangled on the floor. Somewhere along the way Dana had shared her blanket, trying to offer some sort of shield. The world seemed so dark and so unfair. To take…but no that couldn't be right, the world didn't take Kate, she was pushed. Dana punched her floor with guilt, with anger with everything she felt. She jumped when Juliet softly took her hand and cradled it with her own. They both felt lost and they wondered if Kate did too.

"I don't think that's true." Juliet replied

"What do you mean?"

Juliet crept closer her head resting against Dana "K-Kate…she had someone. She did."

Dana didn't hesitate as she blurted out "Max." Her eyes filled with tears she didn't think was possible. "Oh my god, Jules, where's Max?"

"I don't know. No one-no one has seen her." The reporter whispered.

"She's hurting." Dana trembled out, tears spilling over. "She's hurting so much."

"We're hurting too."

Dana furiously shook her head " _But she was there."_

The double-meaning was not lost on both girls.

"You know…you know that Kate came to me once?" Juliet hiccuped trying to reign herself in. "A few weeks ago…she brought me an article…an idea and she just gave it to me."

Dana wiped at her face "Which one?"

"My most popular one."

"What?" Dana whispered her head turning to face the reporter eye searching and finding nothing but guilt. "You-You said that you found it…you lied?"

" _No."_ Juliet snapped staring harshly at the cheerleader "I would never do that. " The honey blonde shook her head lost in her thoughts. "She said it could just be our secret. And I don't think I ever showed her how much that meant to me."

"It's okay."

Juliet threw her hands up in the air "How is this okay? It's not!"

"Because I feel the same way!" Dana yelled getting up from her spot on the floor. Chest heaving eyes cloudy and hair falling out from her ponytail. "You know what is to be _pregnant?_ To see Kate and think that she was going to belittle me for my choices?" Dana spun on her heel rummaging through her desk pulling out a book, a test and literally throwing them Juliet's way. "I had come out the bathroom, bumped into her and that _test_ fell."

Juliet looked between the items in her lap and Dana her eyes widening "Dana?"

"I was terrified and alone and hurt. I didn't know what to do and you know what she did?" Dana ran a hand over her face trying to calm herself but she had broken a long time ago. " _She said nothing_. She just took me by hands and led me to my room." The cheerleader pointed to her couch "We sat there and she held me while I cried my eyes out Juliet."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Juliet whispered another wave a guilt for not knowing about this "I would been there for you!"

"So you could criticize my actions? Criticize how I choose the wrongs guys? I know, _I know._ And I couldn't face you." Dana was shaking arms crossed over chest. "Kate just talked to me and you know what the best part about that was?"

Juliet shook her head "No."

"She didn't judge me. When everyone around her did."

And Dana fell to her knees as the last part of her that was holding on, completely fell off. Her stomach hurt from the force of her cries and her head ached from hours of just letting it out. She could feel Juliet holding her but the pain was still there, it would always be. Nothing could ever truly make this okay and that was the worst part. Dana gripped hard onto Juliet not letting the fear of losing someone greater than it had ever been.

"I'm so sorry, Kate. I'm so sorry. Forgive me, please." Dana said into the air over and over again.

Juliet was rocking them both trying to assuage what they were feeling but she couldn't "I'm sorry, too Kate. I'm sorry."

For the first time both girls understood exactly what misery loves company meant.

And it was the worst thing to know.

* * *

She prided herself on a lot of things, she knew things without even having to think that much about them. She had a perfect grade point average, which was saying something because she was over the limit. Averaging about a five point three. She was book smart and she liked it that way. The only thing was the fact that being book smart couldn't help her right now. No matter hard Stella wanted her smarts to help her, that couldn't change what has happened.

Kate was gone.

Stella pushed her glasses up once more clenching the photo in her hand tightly. She wished she could go back to that time. A time where Kate smiled freely, laughed loudly and made corny jokes. A time where she could get up in the morning, knock on the blondes door and knew that it would open. A time where she could close her eyes knowing that her world was the same. But that was the thing it wasn't, not anymore.

"You're going to break it."

Stella peered up "I already feel broken, Alyssa."

"That's a memory." The goth murmured a book clenched in her hand. "Why would you want to ruin it?"

Stella sighed tears trailing down her face and she pulled off her glasses as they fogged up with the heat. She didn't understand why she didn't catch the signs earlier, why she had never done more. Always stuck in her books, always doing odd jobs to meet tight ends. Blackwell was a great school but it wasn't the cheapest. She had never hated herself more than in this moment and she had never thought she would hate being smart. Maybe then if she hadn't been so caught up in her own life, her own stresses that she could have caught Kate's struggle.

Stella knew that students at Blackwell bullied Kate and ridiculed her. Messed with her things and always wrote on her board. She hated it, she despised it and yet she didn't do anything because she was just one person. She herself was an outcast but she had never felt more empty than she did now. Kate might have been quiet but she could take the attention of the entire room.

See since everyone wrote Kate Marsh off they didn't know her like Stella did. Kate was a story teller, she could talk softly and yet describe an entire world. She would change her voice according to the characters and Kate was damn good at it. The best part of it all was how Kate would lose herself. Her shoulders would drop, her face would look at peace and her body would be completely relaxed. Then the story would come to an end and Kate would blink a few times. Stella smiled but it was pained because if she closed her eyes she could still picture a smiling Kate. She clutched the photo to her heart a few quite sobs leaving her.

"I miss her so much. I miss her so damn much."

Alyssa clutched her book tighter "I-I know."

"I wish we could go back." Stella said eyes becoming red as she looked towards her friend. "To the day we went out for tea. When this picture happened. She was so happy-She was-Why didn't we do anything?"

"Kate never complained." Alyssa said her voice trembling. "You know that."

"We we're her friends!" Stella hissed hands shaking. "We should know….we should have known. And-and now I can't see her, I can't talk to her. I don't want her to be gone."

"We can't think this way, Stell. We can't." Alyssa said tears spilling over her eyes onto the book held in her hands. "We have to remember."

Stella wiped at her eyes "Remember what?"

"That good times." Alyssa whispered hand trailing over her book. "How she would talk, how she would make our days better. Remember how she snored?"

Stella laughed thickly "It was more like a whistle."

"Right?" Alyssa trembled out. "And the way she would fuss over her bun if it wasn't in place. God, how many times did we go somewhere late?"

Stella let a twitch of her lips happen "She would get so embarrassed and get us whatever we liked. I don't think she realized she didn't have to."

"No. She didn't have to but its Kate…she wanted to." Alyssa replied looking out the window wondering if her friend was somewhere looking down at them. "Remember this book?"

Stella peered up at the book that was placed in her hands and she had to chuckle. This was Alyssa's favorite book, she had read it over five times. They had been having a movie night, a scary movie, Stella's choice. Alyssa had cut off the lights and Kate had been making her tea. There was a pillow on the floor and Kate tripped over it, tea spilling right onto the book. Stella let a watery smile take over her face, she still didn't know who freaked out more, Kate or Alyssa. A cry tore out of her lips suddenly as the pain washed over once more.

"It's okay to feel this right? It's okay to miss her?" Stella choked out clutching her photo once more. "I don't want to forget her. I don't want to, Ali."

Alyssa bent down pulling Stella into a hug "We won't, Stell. We can't, she's too deep in our hearts."

"No one knew her. _No one._ Not like we did." Stella whispered.

Alyssa let her own cries fall out "No but aren't we lucky we did? We knew her. She was...she is amazing, isn't she?"

"She is the best." Stella whispered

"How about we do something?"

Stella forced herself to calm "W-What should we do?"

"Somewhere to remember her…a memorial wall?" Alyssa replied voice hoarse. "What do you think?"

"I-I think that's amazing…just like Kate."

Both girls leaned into each other eyes looking over the hill. They were at Kate's spot, where the blonde would come to do her drawings. They could see the patch of grass where Kate would sit, as the area was worn down. They made sure to sit next to it, a cup of tea hot and steaming near it. That even if their best friend wasn't physically here, then maybe she was with them in a different way.

They would both make sure to cherish the moments either way.

* * *

Warren tried to call Max for what seemed the hundredth time. Her phone had went from ringing to going straight to voicemail. He had even tried calling her blue haired friend but that had been a bad mistake. Between the insults, the yelling and her own panic for Max, Warren had just decided to leave that alone. Warren rubbed the side of his uninjured face feeling a mix between sadness and anger.

He hadn't known Kate, not as much as he would have liked but he knew that the girl didn't deserve what had happened to her. He could picture what had happened in his mind over and over again. He could still hear Alyssa's yells for Kate to come down and he could still see the moment Kate had stopped caring. He could still see Max peering over the edge desperately, face red, voice screaming and eyes empty.

He could saw the moment Max stopped caring too.

His thoughts drifted to how Max and how hard she had fought to help. How mad Max had been at him for watching the video and he had felt, still feels, so much regret and embarrassment. Warren didn't think of how watching that video would affect Kate. Now he wishes that he had never even pressed play to the damn minute something video.

He was glad that he got everything taken down.

Warren let's his eyes roam over the empty courtyard his eyes falling on Daniel. He can see from her that the guy is crying. His hefty shoulders shaking up and down every few seconds. The science geek tucks his hands in his pockets as he makes his way down. Without saying anything he sits next to Daniel.

"Please, don't say anything."

Warren looks over confusedly "Why would I say anything?"

"I'm a guy and I'm crying."

"I don't think that means anything." Warren mumbles knowing that he had shed tears himself. Wondering if he even had a right to after what he had done. "It's alright too, you know."

Daniel still has his head hidden in arms, knee's up to his chest "Did you know her?"

"No…but I wish I did. Max….Max always talked about her."

"Oh, Oh Max." Daniel replied head shaking. "She came to see me. Asked for a drawing of Kate. She didn't look so good."

Warren snapped his head to Daniel "Is she…How was she?"

"Devastated…like all of us. But I think-I think she feels it the most." Daniel said finally picking his head up. "Why are you talking to me?"

Warren helplessly shrugged "Everyone needs someone, right?"

"I don't think everyone saw how beautiful Kate was. She wasn't- She wasn't like Victoria who needed the attention." Daniel rummaged through his pocket pulling out a paper that had seen better days. "She was beautiful on the inside and that showed on the outside. She just- She had this way of making you feel okay. I went to her whenever I felt down." Daniel murmured looking at the drawing in front of him. "She precious."

Warren nudged his head to the drawing in Daniel's hand "Is that Kate?"

"Part of it is." Daniel flipped the paper over showing a portrait of Kate. She had been carrying her bunny and she almost lost her pet. But in the last moment she had caught her pet and smiled so warmly. Daniel couldn't let that moment go in his head and had drawn it, making sure to capture the beauty that was Kate. "I showed this to her…she loved it. But, then she told me to sit down."

Warren scrunched his brow "Why?"

"She wanted to show me how h-handsome I am." Daniel replied voice cracking at the end as he turned over the drawing. A portrait of himself, focusing on drawing someone else. "She gave me back this paper and told me to never forget that to capture people you need the gift of seeing who they are." Daniel bowed his head again silent tears coming down his face. "She saw me, Warren. _She saw me._ "

Warren discreetly brought his sleeves towards his eyes as he dried his cheeks. He breathed in deeply as he threw an arm around Daniel as the boy cried heavily and Warren could have cared less to what people thought. This is why this messed up situation started in the first place, because everyone seemed to care too much about the wrong things. Maybe once Daniel was okay who he would tell him about the memorial.

Maybe they could show everyone how beautiful Kate Marsh is.

* * *

"Get the fuck off me!"

"Would you stop being so dramatic?"

Victoria narrowed her eyes " _Get. Out."_

"What?" Nathan hissed back

"I said get out. You unfeeling prick and _don't_ come back."

"Are you fucking kidding me right now? Are you seriously feeling shitty?" Nathan yelled stomping towards the blonde. "You're the bitch who drove her there don't you know? Or are you trying to play victim?"

Victoria pushed Nathan back "You don't know anything!"

"I know you!"

"No you don't!"

Nathan scoffed coming face to face with the Queen Bee of the school "You're just an insecure little girl who had issues deeper than anyone one of us could ever know. Get the fuck over it, you did this so suck it up."

"N-No, I didn't. You did this, you did this at the party!" Victoria wailed back eyes getting teary "You knew I was drunk and would listen….I didn't know…I didn't know." The blonde said voice becoming thick. "I-I didn't know."

Victoria pushed Nathan out of her dorm slamming the door shut with so much force a few pictures fell. Her eyes moved around her room widely anger coming up in ten folds. She eyed her phone, the memory coming back and she snapped. The blonde screamed grabbing her phone and chucking it at the wall. Relishing in the way that it broke into tiny little pieces and dropped onto her bed.

But it wasn't enough.

She went to her tablet, smashing it on the floor, stomping on it for added effect. She grabbed her camera chucking theme every which way. Pained cries leaving her lips as she knocked everything over her desk and kicked her trash can hard into the wall. The blonde pulled at her hair as she landed on the photos against her wall. The photos of herself.

"I hate you! I hate you!" Victoria yelled.

With quick movements she jumped onto her bed. She tore both of them onto the ground. The middle one being her punching bag as she pounded into it over and over again. Her yells becoming strained as her throat couldn't take it anymore. She could feel her knuckles breaking open, the blood streaming down her hand. The spatters on the picture and with the last of her energy she threw that onto the floor, along with everything else. She fell onto her bed dry heaving because her throat was tender from yelling.

Victoria cradled her hand to her chest as she curled into a ball. Her dry sobs hurting her stomach. She had pushed someone to their death, she had done that all on her own. The pain she felt inside herself was so great she wanted to hurt people too. She wanted to them to feel it all and she couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand Kate who was so happy with herself, so cheerful and so calm. How everyone seemed to adore her and care for her and Victoria couldn't do that.

No she was just too socially inept to act with kindness.

"Why did you listen to me? _Why?_ I'm a bitch, you know that. _You know._ " Victoria stated eyes shut tightly trying to not to think about what happened. What she had a hand in, whether she liked it or not. "My words should mean nothing. They are nothing, why Kate would you ever listen to an idiot like me?"

Victoria punched her bed yelping when her knuckles met her sheets. "You never yelled. You never cursed at me. You didn't do anything to get back at me. And-and I deserve it. _I deserve the pain. I do."_ She tried to breathe in but her nose was clogged instead choking on air. She had to inhale through her mouth in order to get oxygen. "Why couldn't you hate me back? _Why did you have to be so good?"_

The blonde tried to burrow into her bed, tried to wash away everything she was feeling but it was impossible. She didn't know how to deal with this, she didn't know how to talk about it. She didn't know how to express the remorse she was feeling, the guilt that seeped into her very body. The way she felt like she didn't deserve to be alive with all the things she had done. How Kate needed to be alive and well. Drawing her pictures for the books that she wanted to create.

Spreading the kindness that Victoria envied.

"You thought I hated you." The blonde said out into the open voice so strained it sounded more like a cracked whisper. "It was a lie. I hated myself for everything I wanted to be and everything you were. Fucking pathetic, aren't I?" Victoria admitted hoping that the person who deserved these words could hear them.

Turning onto her side, she blindly reached for her dresser near her bed as she rummaged through her drawer. She clasped her iPod quickly, unraveling the earphones that were wrapped around it. She placed them in her ears and started to search for her music. She found the playlist she wanted and let it shuffle. The music both soothing her and tormenting her at the same time.

She didn't believe much about god, her family never spending enough time to teach her such things. She had caught bits and pieces from hearing Kate talk to whoever would listen. Victoria had learned, at least through what Kate believed, that god was loving. God was forgiving, god was merciful and god always listened.

She also knew that someone taking their own life was a sin.

So for the first time in her entire life she prayed.

She prayed for Kate, to god and that he would forgive Kate. That if needed to place blame to place it on her. If he needed someone to take, then take her. Because Kate didn't want this, Kate didn't deserve this. That he would look past what she had done and look at everything she did. All the good that trumped this one decision. That if anyone deserved peace, happiness and no sickness, it was Kate Marsh.

So she prayed and prayed.

Her soft cries being muffled by the music in her ears. The music that reminded her of happy times in her childhood. The music that would help her get through her own days. The music that would make her anger wash away. The music that helped her get through own darkness. The music that kept her alive on more than one occasion.

The music that was Kate Marsh playing her violin every morning.

* * *

The memorial happened at exactly seven at night right in front of the girl's dormitory. Daniel had spent hours working on a hand drawn picture of Kate. The back picturing every form of a happy Kate. That picture is what stood at the center of everything.

Alyssa had ripped out a chapter of her favorite book and placed it on the bottom of Kate's portrait. Reading every time she came by because she could hear Kate laugh every single time. Stella had copied her photo and stuck in the corner of Kate's frame. The entire day explained in detail on the back. She would tell Kate that they would need to plan something like that again.

Dana had come later when only a few people were coming to place things. Juliet was standing with her, hands clasped together. The cheerleader placed a poem, one of Kate favorites, because they had talked about it when Kate had found about her situation. Juliet didn't place anything today but tomorrow early in the morning was an article about Kate Marsh ready to be read by everyone in the school. The only thing she needed was a photo and she knew a brunette who would have it.

Warren had come by awkwardly feeling ashamed at himself so he sat down in front of the memorial and talked. He apologized as much as he could, choking himself up in the process. Stella and Alyssa had found him like that. They picked him up and told him about who Kate was. Who she is. How she would have forgiven him because she wasn't one to hate. He cried a bit more at that and wondered if he even deserved that kindness.

It was past curfew when one Victoria Chase would sneak out. She would sit down in front of the memorial and stare it for hours. Sometimes staying into the late night or early morning. She left two things at the memorial. A box of tea and a bow that she bought that belonged to a violin. The bow was engraved with Kate's name just in case any savaged tried to steal it. Victoria would then come out, every night, after curfew and talk to Kate like she had never done so before. She also prayed every night before she finally went to a fretful sleep.

* * *

It was five days later that Max Caulfield was seen at Blackwell Academy.

A day after Kate's funeral.

She was quieter, darker, stronger.

The first thing everyone noticed was the tattoo sleeve that adorned her right arm. From her shoulder all the way down to her wrist. It was colorful, vibrant and filled with life. It was also a testament to the first person she had ever truly lost. If anyone looked closer they would notice a bible verse, a cross, a quote and a rabbit. They would see Kate smiling, music notes and the most important part was the inside of her wrist.

It held Kate's birth date but next to it was an infinity sign.

Because to Max, Kate would never truly be gone.

It was one early morning that Max came out to the memorial wall. She had sat down for a bit, bringing a chair and all. Eyes glistening with tears that had yet to fall. She would take a deep breath then, seeming to brace herself. Soon enough she would pull out her guitar and would start to play. Everyone in the girl's dorm had come out then, to hear the music and there wasn't not one dry eye in the group.

Max looked so happy and they knew that Kate would be too.

Because Max was playing all of Kate's favorite songs.

After sometime it became a group thing, everyone would come out to enjoy time with Kate. Stories would be shared, laughs would happen and crying would eventually come. Trust was formed and bonds were made. Everyone saw that Chloe, who had been trusted within circle, was particularly protective of Max. Dana had said that Max was oblivious, Juliet betted that soon Max would notice. Alyssa had been the one to say that if anyone was going to help it would be Kate. They all left it alone after that.

Blackwell was different.

The group had made a pact to always be there whenever they needed someone. They had also made a club where anyone who is anyone could come talk. They had bristled when Victoria Chase had come and were surprised when Max had talked to her. The only answer they got from the photographer was that everyone had dark times. They hadn't known how many times Chloe had picked up Max when the days were too hard. Chloe had known this pain like no other becoming more than she could ever be. Helping in ways she had never planned too.

It would be a long road, a hard road and none of them would ever be the same. They had lost someone who was gentle, kind and loving. Someone who had been then there for them in one way or another. They would miss the smiles, the laughs, the snorts and snores. They would miss the warmth of genuine hugs and soft notes of a violin. They would miss the books that they would never to get to read. They would miss the doodles that would make them snicker.

They would miss Kate and everything that she was. Everything that she is.

The thought of her watching out for them was what kept them going. The promise of seeing her one day, again, pushing them. They never asked for a Guardian Angel but if they had to have one?

 ** _Kate Marsh was the best damn one and would forever be._**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_

 _This was the first time I have ever done anything so sad and dark. I'm a Marshfield shipper. So it was like taking an axe to my heart. If you want to know why I would write something like this it was requested by an anon at my tumblr. (Link at my profile.) This one-shot was to challenge myself. I wanted to get out of my comfort and holy crap did I.  
_

 _(I know, I forgot Brooke. Can't say much more than that, this took a lot out of me)_

 _Tell me how I did because I don't even know, all new territory for me._

 _If you want something a little lighter than this, check out my Marshfield fic, Center Of The Photo._


End file.
